One day on the outskirts of the desert, a boy witnesses a woman dumping a body down a well.

"Jesus Christ saw a dead body on a path. Surprised, he bit his fingertip and pondered, 'Who did you murder to be murdered in such a mournful way?'" (Kavir Vew)

This is not supposed to be a story-telling movie. One day, a teenage boy happens to witness a woman dumping a dead body down a well near his village on the outskirts of the desert. Noticing his presence,the murderess decides to kill him, starting a deadly Marathon.

DEAD HEAT has the simplest of plots, so the magic isn't found in the story but the sheer tension and the stark vistas of the desert. Barari's cinematography bathes the dawning desert in a gentle mystery entirely at odds with the frantic chase being played out.

"Someone again will murder the one who killed you." (A Quote from NASER KHOSRO, Classical Iranian Poet).

KAVIR-e MARG, “Jesus Christ saw a dead body on a path.” ”Surprised, he bit his fingertip and pondered:” "Who did you murder? To be murdered in such a mournful way?” ”Someone again will murder the person who killed you.” (A Quote from NASER KHOSRO, Classical Iranian Poet).

...but Iran is still turning heads. Working within the confines of a production code that restricts depictions of adult relationships, Iranian storytellers have produced some of the best films ever made about the lives of children. Dead Heat Under the Shrubs, by new director Esmael Barari, throws a seemingly innocent boy together with a sketchy older woman to produce a taut, 71-minute tale of suspense.